Just like app developers have the ability to sell subscriptions as in-app purchases in iOS apps and Newsstand, they will soon be able to offer the same auto-renewable content through in-app purchases in Mac App Store apps. Mac apps on the latest releases of OS X already support non-subscription based in-app purchases. For example, items that are purchased once and automatically applied to a user’s account. Up until now, developers offering an auto-renewable or non-renewing subscription in their iOS apps couldn’t do the same in the Mac App Store equivalents....

It is no secret that Apple has been taking the heat, since their new Final Cut Pro X launched, over the lack of some critical features. John Gruber has compiled some written reviews – not particularly App Store reviews – and they all mention the lack of some critical features for professionals, making the transition difficult from earlier versions of the Final Cut Pro suite. In addition to those reviews, the Mac App Store reviews panel for Final Cut Pro X has been the scene of some nasty and extremely critical reviews from users....

If you were wondering why Apple has ignored the megapixel race and stuck to a modest 8MP camera in its latest iPhones when almost every other manufacturer is cramming in as many pixels as physically possible, it’s all about image quality. While more pixels allow you to blow up photos to larger sizes, that comes at a cost. Squeezing more pixels into a tiny sensor means more noise, reducing quality, especially in low-light situations like bars and parties....

In celebration of the iOS App Store’s upcoming 5th anniversary, Apple has created a timeline of notable events in the App Store’s history. This timeline has been sent to members of the media, including The Financial Times’ Tim Bradshaw, and Apple has created similar promotions in the past. Earlier this year, Apple sent out a similar celebratory memento for the iTunes Store’s 10th anniversary of existence. Coupled with the note to press, Apple launched a public-facing website to honor the date....

After announcing significantly more generous pricing for iCloud storage last week, but showing only U.S. costs, Apple today confirmed international pricing for the simplified three-tier structure. U.K. pricing starts at 79p/month for 50GB, rises to £2.49/mo for 200GB, and tops out at 1TB for £6.99/mo. Euro pricing is €0.99/€2.99/€9.99 respectively. Unusually for Apple, these prices are pretty much on par with U.S. pricing after allowing for VAT (European sales tax)....

Apple this evening has shared three new videos in its ongoing iPad Pro ad series. The new videos highlight user complaints about PCs and offer up a solution to the problems: the iPad Pro. The three new ads highlight the design of the iPad Pro, its battery, its versatility. The first new advertisement focuses on the iPad Pro’s size and highlights a user tweet complaining about how her laptop “weighs five million tons....

Apple today released a new environmental impact report on its Apple and the Environment webpage detailing improvements in the newly launched Mac Pro’s environmental performance. In the report, Apple notes the new Mac Pro meets ENERGY STAR® Version 6.0 standards and gets a Gold rating from EPEAT, but it also provides estimates for the Mac Pro’s lifetime greenhouse gas emissions (around 940 kg CO2e), power consumption, and material efficiency. In a section outlining the power efficiency of the new Mac Pro with the chart above, Apple claims the new machine “consumes 68 percent less power in idle mode than the previous-generation Mac Pro....

Apple has responded to the recent major earthquake and subsequent tsunami that has devastated the Indonesian island of Sulawesi with a donation of $1 million. In a tweet from Tim Cook, the Apple CEO noted the company’s sympathy for the all of the people affected and shared that it would be donating $1 million to help with relief efforts. Sulawesi experienced a 7.5 magnitude earthquake last Friday. Along with the following tsunami, over 1,200 people have been reported dead so far with thousands of buildings and bridges being ruined....

After a long stretch without any changes, Apple’s Music Memos iOS app has received an update today bringing support for the latest iPhone screens. Meanwhile, Apple Events for Apple TV has received an updated icon ahead of WWDC next week. The last update for Music Memos was back in September last year, but it notably didn’t bring support for the modern notched iPhone displays. Today’s update brings display support for iPhone X/XS, XS Max, and XR along with some minor performance improvements and bug fixes....

UPDATE 8/23: Deadline reports that Apple has officially given this project a 10-episode straight-to-series order. Apple is reportedly working on yet another TV sci-fi for its growing catalogue of shows as part of an unannounced streaming video service. The show will be based on the Foundation book trilogy written by Isaac Asimov and produced by Skydance Television which is behind the Netflix series “Altered Carbon”. As reported by Variety, the series will be written and produced by David S....

The CEO of Mango Health, Jason Oberfest, was recently poached by Apple, according to a report from CNBC. The app was built to help users track medications, and also gives incentives for those who take their medications on time. Oberfest is reportedly looking into ways for Apple to take advantage of its technology and innovations. Apple has been making progress on features like its Health Records API over the last year, which can integrate with medication prescriptions....

Over the last year, Apple has put a heightened focus on news and editorial content. Just last week, the company shared its first exclusive piece of content via Apple News, while it was also revealed that Apple has been paying some publishers for early exclusivity rights to video content. New data on Apple’s hiring trends over the last year only further show the company’s interest in news… Data aggregated by research firm Thinknum shows Apple’s recent spike in editorial hires....

An Apple I sold at Christie’s last week for $355,500, the lowest price yet seen for a recent sale of a model in working condition … The computer may have sold for less than usual due to modifications made by the original owner, who added an EPROM and upgraded the RAM. A rare ‘Celebration’ model sold last August for $815k, after predictions of a 7-figure sale, and others have gone for upwards of $400k....

Apple has announced that its Everyone Can Code curriculum will be living up to its name, by making it accessible to blind and deaf students, as well as those with other disabilities such as issues with motor skills. A Swift training program which begins in kindergarten schools, Everyone Can Code started out as a free ebook (available here, with teachers’ guide) before being rolled out to colleges around the world, including a huge rollout in Chicago …...

Apple has opened up a secondary dedicated AppleCare repairs warehouse in the United States in recent days, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the new center. The new warehouse is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and public records indicate that the facility comes in at just under 200,000 square-feet with an additional 2500 square-feet of space available for offices. Apple will use this facility to conduct repairs and replacements and to manage, package, and ship repaired Apple devices to both customer’s homes and Apple Store Genius Bars across the country....

A recent patent filed by Apple and discovered by PatentlyApple hints at ways in which Apple is planning to make its HomeKit platform smarter. The patent, published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, is for an “automated environment” in which HomeKit would be able to track the routines of users and implement automated behaviors based on those habits. As an example, Apple points to the idea of a heating system being enabled at a particular time or when a particular temperature is met....

AppFigures has released some new statistics about developer adoption of app bundles in the iOS App Store. Bundles were introduced in iOS 8 as a way for shoppers to buy multiple apps at a discounted price. According to the numbers, which were compiled by looking at the most popular ranked or featured bundles, most of the bundles have an average of 3-4 apps and can save users about $5.64. Eighty percent of bundles in the store reportedly contain five or fewer applications, while about half of all bundles contain just two or three apps....

Apple and Google have co-signed a letter calling on President Obama to reject any government proposal to allow the government backdoor access to encrypted data on smartphones and other devices. The Washington Post says the letter, due to be delivered today, is signed by more than 140 tech companies, prominent technologists and civil society groups. Apple uses end-to-end encryption for iMessages, meaning that Apple has no way to access the data even if presented with a court order....

Apple and Zendesk are announcing that Apple Business Chat is being made generally available today. Previously available as a beta service, only select customers had the option to use Apple’s chat platform and integrate it with Zendesk Support. Apple Business Chat was introduced in 2018 and it allows companies to offer chat support through iMessage. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can interact with customer service. The feature also offers native integration with other Apple services such as Apple Maps and Apple Pay, so users can find useful information and pay for products and services directly in the Messages app while chatting with a support agent....

The first iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders have started shipping out to early buyers. As usual, this doesn’t mean you should expect your iPhone 12 order to arrive any earlier than the October 23 release date. If you check your order status via Apple’s website, you’ll likely see that your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro is still “preparing to ship.” However, if you head to the UPS website, you can track the progress of your order with a few simple steps....